2023
by livvyyygraceR5
Summary: This is just a short and sweet story I came up with out of nowhere. It's Raura and it very fluffy. :) Go for it.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is a story I came up with after being overwhelmed with Raura feels. So yeah. I hope you enjoy it. **

It's the year 2023. It's been nine years since Austin and Ally ended. As much as the fans protested, the show made its grand finale at the end of season three in 2014. This was purely by the actor's choice. Their show had enough views, and a big enough fan base to get renewed for another season, but the actors had decided to move on to bigger, more mature sets.

Each member of the cast had been equally successful in their own individual career paths. Calum went on to act in big name movies in multiple genres. He had basically become an acting master in most every type of genre or character. Raini also went on to pursue big movies, a few big TV shows, and even a little music. Laura continued acting, along with music, and even started the Laura Project, which was her own charity business to help children in need. Ross acted for a few more years after the series finale of their show, but his main focus became music. R5 went on to play multiple world tours, becoming one of the most popular bands in America.

Because of their massive success, they found it hard to make time to see each other. Though the cast had went their separate ways, they were all still very close friends. But honestly, they all hadn't gotten together to hang out as a group in at least a year and a half. Calum and Raini had spent some time together, Raini and Laura had spent some time together, and all three of them had spent time together. But Ross was usually the one who was unable to meet up. It seemed he was always on tour, many miles away from the rest of the group.

Although Ross was usually left out of these meet-ups, he still kept in touch. With texting and the occasional video chatting, he knew what his friends were up to. But somehow, it just wasn't enough for him. With the exception of his band, those three people were some of the best people he had ever had the privilege of knowing. He felt bad that he was the one that could never come and hang out. In all honesty, he missed them more than he ever thought he would. They were as much family to him as his band.

All except one of them. One of them that sticks in his mind more often than the others. One that he wishes would be at every concert. One he wishes he could hug whenever he felt like it. Yes, as much as he hated to admit it, he was talking about the one and only Laura Marano. He wouldn't say that he was in love with her, even he was unsure about that. But he'll admit that there are feelings. He hates that it's been thirteen years since he met her, and he still doesn't have the nerve to confess his feelings.

He misses those days on set of Austin and Ally, when he saw her everyday. When he stayed up late with her, helping her with schoolwork. When he was able to hug her, and hear her adorable laugh. When he was able to tell her those horrible jokes that only she loved. Those were the days he missed. And now, he's currently in Paris, barely even finding the time to text her, 'Hey'.

...

Later the next night, after R5's final show in Paris, Ross slumps into his bunk on their tour bus. He was bummed at today's show because he couldn't get that certain someone off his mind. His mood must've been pretty obvious, because his siblings were picking up on it.

"Hey, you okay bro?" asked Rocky.

Ross sighed. "To be honest? No. I'm not."

"What's up?" Rocky asked, leaning against the bunk.

"Like you don't already know." Rocky just raised an eyebrow, so Ross continued. "Laura."

Rocky just laughed. "Ah, Ross. You're still quite the lovesick puppy aren't you?"

"Shut up." Ross grunted, throwing a pillow at his mocking brother.

Rocky left him alone, and so did everyone else. Although they tended to pick on Ross about the whole 'Raura' subject, they all knew that she really meant a lot to him. They saw it from the beginning and teased him about it. But now the teasing has become lesser and lesser, because they can all clearly see the emotional stress that it causes Ross. He hasn't seen her in person for almost two years, and it's really beginning to take a toll on him. They've tried to contact Laura and work out a time when they can get her to meet up with Ross, but their schedules are just too busy.

As Ross lies in bed, he begins to reminisce about his times on set. He thinks of the very first episode they filmed, and how even then, the cast's chemistry together had been phenomenal. He remembered thinking about how similar Laura and her character, Ally, were. They were all so young then, fifteen. Now he's almost twenty-eight. He thinks of each and every meet and greet, interview, and signing they went to. Then, as if out of nowhere, he remembers one specific interview from 2013. The interviewer had asked questions about 'Raura', and if he could ever see himself with Laura. He remembered his answer clearly: "No, there's nothing going on between us right now, but you never know what might happen in ten years."

_Ten years._ The words rang through his head. It's _been_ ten years, he thought. It's 2023, that interview was in 2013, he pieced together in his thoughts. This is the year. His eyes flew open, and he sat up in his bunk.

"I've got to see her. This year. This month. This _weekend_." He murmured to himself.

But how was he going to get to her by this weekend on their busy schedule? It doesn't matter, he had to do it, and he was going to. Immediately, he was planning out every possible way of getting to her. Today was Thursday, R5 didn't have any shows until next Tuesday. But they did have rehearsals over the weekend. He could miss that, right? His siblings would understand, wouldn't they? Well, they're gonna have to be, because he wasn't showing up.

Now he just had to figure out what Laura was doing, so he could meet up with her without ruining some schedule she had. He didn't want to just straight up call her and ask what she was doing though. He suddenly had the thought to surprise her. _Vanessa_, he thought.

He dug for his phone and frantically searched for her number in his contacts. It was only a few minutes shy of midnight, but he figured this was important enough to call at this time. The phone rang four times, and just when he thought she wasn't going to pick up, a small "hello?" was mumbled through the phone.

"Vanessa! Hey, it's Ross. I need an update on Laura's schedule for the weekend." He told her quickly.

She giggled. "Sure. She'll be in Virginia at Radford University all weekend, talking to the students about her charity. Now can I ask what this would be for?"

"I'm gonna go surprise her! I haven't seen her in practically two years, and I really want to see her." He immediately remembered he was talking to Laura's sister and began to stutter. "You know, cause she's my friend...and everything."

Vanessa laughed again and smiled to herself at his adorableness. "Yeah yeah, _friends_." Ross began to argue but she cut him off. "Hey, I get it. You don't have to explain your relationship to me, because honestly, it's not like I don't know where it's headed anyway. But before you try to deny it again, just listen."

"Okay, I'm listening." Ross said calmly, momentarily breaking out of his rush of excitement.

"I just want you to know, I'm glad it's you. I'm glad that _you're_ the one she fell for. I'm glad that I won't have to worry about her having a broken heart. Because that has always been my biggest fear; that my poor, innocent little sister will come to me with tears in her eyes crying about some boy who decided she wasn't worth his time. But I know you. And I know that you're not that type of guy. And that's why I'm glad it's you." Vanessa finished honestly.

"Thanks, Vanessa. That really means a lot coming from you." Ross said, smiling.

"Alright, now go get your girl already. And tell everyone I said hey." She laughed one last time.

Ross thanked her once more and hung up. He got up from his bunk and woke up Riker. Ross gave him an update on his plans and asked for directions to the nearest airport. Although Riker thought he was somewhat crazy, he gave Ross the information he needed and went back to sleep.

Ross got off the bus at the next rest stop and took a cab to the airport. Once he finally got a ticket, waited for the plane, went through security, and took his seat in first class, he slumped with relief as the plane finally took off. Vanessa's words still rang through his head: _"I'm glad you're the one she fell for."_

"Here we go." Ross breathed as he watched the clouds move underneath him.

**There you have it. Chapter one. Thoughts? Comments? Hit up the review section. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I'm back with chapter two! I have a feeling that this story might be a little longer than I anticipated. But hey, it's all good right? Anyway sorry if there's any misspelled words or punctuation errors. I had to write this chapter from my iPod and it was a little aggravating. Hope you enjoy! Keep reason and reviewing!**

...

It took nine hours, but Ross' plane had finally landed in Virginia. He walked across the street from the airport, and got something to eat. He was trying to figure out what exactly he was doing. It was a three hour drive from here to Radford University, according to Riker's and Vanessa's directions. He'd have to take a cab again.

Once he arrived on Radford campus, his heart practically lurched into his throat. It was a mix of excitement and nervousness. He walked into the front lobby of the school and asked the administration where Laura was at. They said she was in room 234A on the west side. He maneuvered through the halls to get to the right room.

He knew when he was at the right room without even looking at the number. The door to the classroom was open, and he could hear her voice. He poked his head in the room and saw that she was facing away from him. A few students in class smiled and pointed, but he put a finger to his lips to quiet them. He tiptoed into the room and walked right up behind her. He was so excited he could barely contain himself. Laura stopped talking, seeing the looks of people in class, and sensing someone behind her, and that's when Ross tapped her shoulder. Laura's heart jumped as if she knew even the touch of his hand. She turned around slowly to reveal Ross's smiling face and expectant eyes.

"Ross!" She exclaimed excitedly, before jumping into his arms.

He picked her up right off her feet and spun around. Suddenly, it felt as if a piece of him he never knew he was missing, was finally found. That gap in his heart had been filled. Everyone in the room had disappeared and it was just the two of them. It felt so good, so unbelievably good, that he knew he wasn't going to be the first one to let go.

Laura finally pulled away, letting her gaze meet Ross's eyes. Ross saw that she was almost on the verge of tears. She remembered that she was in front of her class and stepped away from him.

"Excuse me for just a minute. I'll be right back." Laura told her class, as she grabbed Ross's hand and guided him out of the room. She shut the door behind her as she left, and looked to Ross again.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her smile wide.

"I came to see you. It's been too long." Ross answered back, his eyes locked on hers.

"You literally have no idea how much I've missed you! My schedule has been insane, and I just wanted a break." Laura explained.

"I could say the same to you." Ross said.

Laura smiled and rose up to hug him again. Ross didn't object in the slightest, and he held her as if his life depended on it.

"I really, _really_, missed you. I missed this." He whispered into her hair, admiring how perfectly they fit together.

"I missed this too. It feels so good to see you again. Texting you, and video-chatting you just isn't enough anymore. I need to be able to feel like this. Whenever you hug me, it's like an escape. The problems, my schedule, this constant busyness, it all just disappears. At least for a moment." Laura confessed.

They broke apart from the hug and Ross gazed down at her, ready to go in for his big move. But he remembered he was in a school, and Laura had a class waiting on her. So he kept to himself.

"You know you've still got a class in there." Ross reminded her.

"Oh. Yeah. That. How long are you gonna be in town?" She asked, her stress starting to return.

"Until late Sunday afternoon." He answered.

"I'm canceling my plans for the weekend, and we're going to hang out, okay?" Laura said, getting straight to the point.

"No, don't cancel your plans for me, your career is more important." He said, though on the inside, he was whooping with joy.

"I haven't seen you in two years. College students can wait." She replied, her mind made up. "Go to the big blue hotel three blocks down, that's where I've been staying at. I'll be done with this in an hour and we can meet up there."

Ross nodded as she went back to class. He left the school and arrived at the hotel she had told him about, and waited for her to get there. He decided to go ahead and check in the hotel himself, since he'd be staying for the whole weekend. He got his room key and went up to the ninth floor where his room was located. He walked in, threw his keys on the counter, and flopped on the couch as if he'd lived there for years. He went to sleep, now that he didn't have the stress to keep him awake.

It wasn't long afterwards that his phone was buzzing, awakening him from a restful sleep. Ross groaned, digging in his pocket to stop the noise. His eyes flew open and he immediately jumped up from the couch when he remembered that he was supposed to meet up with Laura. He grabbed the phone and answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ross! I'm done speaking with the college kids, I'm in the parking lot of the hotel I told you about. Where are you at?" Laura asked.

"I'm in the hotel. I'll meet you down there in just a sec, hang on." Ross said, ending the phone call.

Ross was so eager to spend the day with her that he didn't even bother waiting on the elevator. He went straight to the stairwell and ran down to the bottom floor. He stopped in the lobby to catch his breath, then walked out to the parking lot nonchalantly. He saw her leaning against her car, looking down at her phone.

"Hey Pickles." Ross said. This nickname was one he gave to her many years ago on set, as sort of a play on her character, Ally.

Laura looked up from her phone, smiling. "I didn't think you'd remember that nickname."

Ross just shrugged, giving her a small laugh. "So what are your plans for today?"

"I dunno, lunch sounds pretty good to me right now." Laura decided.

"Lunch it is." Ross agreed.

Ross hopped in the drivers seat of Laura's car and motioned her to get in. Though Laura protested about Ross driving her car, she gave up the argument, wondering how those eyes of his could still convince her to do anything.

Once on the road, Ross turned up the radio, rolled down the windows, and sang along to the music. Laura began to sing along as well, her love of music as strong as his. Two songs later, Ain't No Way We're Goin' Home, one of R5's old songs, started blaring through the speakers. Ross and Laura shared a glance, smiling, remembering when this album had been released.

"This is _so_ cool! I haven't heard this in forever!" Ross shouted, still amazed that his music was playing on the radio.

Laura laughed at his childishness before losing herself in the words of the song. Ross wasn't quite sure why, but something about her singing along with the words of his song, made him smile like an idiot.

Soon afterwards, they arrived at a small homestyle diner that they had agreed to eat at. They walked in, picked a booth, and sat down across from each other. Once they had looked at the menu, and the waiter had taken their order, Laura spoke up.

"So what have you been doing? Where have you been? How's life? I haven't seen you in _forever_!" Laura rambled on, excited to finally have a day with Ross.

Ross laughed before answering, "I've been touring. That's basically been my entire life since you last saw me. Constantly traveling, here and there, performing at concerts. What about you?"

"I've been doing so much, I can't even keep track of everything. Recently, most of my time has gone towards my charity. But I've done a little music in my free time. Just piano, and a little bit of vocals." She explained.

Ross sat quietly, listening to her speak, admiring the sparkle in her eye that he missed seeing. They exchanged more small talk before their food got there, and when it did come, they sill continued to talk as they ate. The waiter brought the check to the table a short time afterwards, and Laura began digging in her purse for her credit card.  
Ross held out a hand to stop her. She looked up, confused.

"Don't worry, I got it." Ross told her.

"Ross, I have more money than I know what to do with. I'm perfectly capable of paying for myself." She protested.

"Then donate it to your charity. And I'll pay for you. That way, we'll both be using our money for something we care about." Ross said with a genuine smile.

Laura stopped, and put her card back in purse. Her gaze fell to the floor, and she smiled as the pink grew more visible on her cheeks. Ross smiled too, noticing the effect his compliment had on her. He thought of confessing his feelings right now, but decided it would be better to do it somewhere else. Or maybe he just got nervous. Either way, nothing was confessed.

They left the restaurant and decided to go to the park since it was a nice day. Because they were in Virginia, there were lots of scenic parks where you could view the city from the mountains. They chose the park that existed on the tallest mountain in Virginia. After all, they were only fifteen minutes away from it anyway.

Ross parked the car on the trail, halfway up the mountain. They weren't wearing the best hiking clothes, so he didn't start from the bottom.

"Ross, I'm wearing wedges. Do you expect me to go hiking in these?" Laura questioned. Before he could answer, Laura had already taken back what she said. "Wait a minute! I've got tennis shoes in the trunk."

After she had changed shoes, they started their walk up the mountain towards the park.

"Why do you have extra shoes in car?" Ross asked as they walked.

"Because after I spend the day talking to different groups of people about my charity in tall heels, my feet need a break." She answered.

"Why do you have to wear heels? There nothing wrong with regular shoes." Ross countered.

"Because I'm short. I haven't grown an inch since I was eighteen." Laura pouted.

Ross looked down at the small girl next to him, and smiled. "I know." He said, slinging an arm over her shoulders as they walked. "That's a good thing."

Laura smiled back at him, "Perfect fit, right?" She reflected from the times on set that he used to call her the 'prefect fit', since she didn't like being called short.

Ross laughed, "Yeah. Perfect fit."

And right then and there, he knew he was going to have a hard time going back home.

...

**So there you have it! Chapter two! Thoughts? Comments? Feel free to leave a review. All commentary is greatly appreciated whether good or bad. :) I hope you're liking it so far! See you at chapter three! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, first off, I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated this one in a while. You don't know the meaning of a crazy schedule until you live a day in the life of me. But I'm not gonna go into that, so just keep reading and the sure to tell me what you think! :)**

The pair had just made it to the top of the mountain where the park was. There was a picnic shelter, some tables here and there, and a big viewing deck that overlooked the mountain and the valley. Only a few people roamed around, mostly older folks, since it was the middle of the day and most people were at work.

"Lets go over there and look!" Laura insisted, pulling him towards the viewing deck.

They walked to the edge and leaned over the railing, looking at the miles of landscape far below them.

"Whoa," Laura took a step back, "We're pretty far up."

Ross grabbed her shoulders as she backed up, keeping a protective grip on her. "It's pretty cool though, to be able to see this much at once."

"Yeah it is, the mountains are beautiful! But I've never been too fond of heights." She said, being overwhelmed by admiration and fear all at once.

"Here, let me get a picture of us looking over the railing. I'll send it to Raini and Calum and rub it in their face." Ross grinned.

"Okay!" Laura laughed.

He leaned back against the railing, pulling Laura close to his side. He stretched his arm out far enough to get both them and the view in the picture. Ross gave a thumbs up and Laura pointed to the view behind them. Once the picture was taken, they looked to see if it was clear.

"Aww, that's a really good picture! Send it to me too." She told him.

He sent it to her, as well as Raini and Calum. He also saved it as his wallpaper, but he didn't tell her that. They hung around the park for a little while longer, but soon they decided it was time to go. They got back down the mountain twice as fast because they ran all the way down, racing each other to the bottom. It was a tie. Ross could've beat her, but he kept his pace matched to hers.

Once the car was in sight, Ross took off ahead of her, running to her side of the car. He opened the door, and made a motion that was meant to usher her into the car. She smiled and giggled a bit, sliding into the car like he insisted.

They drove back to the hotel since they could think of nothing else to do. Once they got into the hotel, they proceeded to go to their separate rooms.

"Where's your room?" Laura asked Ross.

"The far right on the ninth floor." Ross said, motioning towards his room.

"Oh hey! Mine's on the ninth floor too! But it's on the left side." She said. "Do you wanna come hang out in my room for a little while? I have popcorn and movies."

"You take movies with you on business trips?" Ross asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Sometimes I can't sleep, and I get bored. So yes. I do take movies with me on business trips." She says, proud of her answer.

"Well it depends on what you got." Ross says with a sly grin.

"I don't know, mostly rom-coms and action." Laura says, trying to think of what she had.

"Well, that's no deep romantic movie, but I think it'll do." He mocks, grinning.

...

They settled onto her couch and popped a movie in the DVD player, and popcorn into their mouths. Laura watched the movie part of the time, and the other part of the time, she was using her iPad.

She still had her love for reading through her twitter mentions and answering to fans. She thought it was funny that, even still to this day, she had Austin & Ally fans tweeting her about the show. She knew that reruns of the show still aired sometimes, but it still surprised her.

"Hey, look at this," Laura said, scooting close to Ross. "Somebody sent me a picture collage of all of us from Austin and Ally. We look so small."

"That sure brings back lots of memories." Ross laughed, leaning slightly on Laura, looking over her shoulder at her iPad.

"Do you ever miss those days?" Laura said, unable to stop looking at the picture, taking in all of its memories.

"All the time. There was no crazy schedules then, or constant busyness." He paused, looking down at the girl he never knew he loved so much. "And...I never had to worry about missing you."

Laura turned to face him, her eyes meeting his. The statement seemed to catch her off guard, but Ross' charming smile pulled her back into focus. Though the implied compliment was nothing major, Laura still found herself at a loss for words. Maybe it was because she didn't notice until now how close they were. She was just trying to show Ross the picture, but she somehow found her way snuggled up to his side, with his face mere centimeters from hers. It seemed he was getting closer to her now, _was he leaning in?_

_Riiiinnngg! _

Ross felt his phone noisily buzzing in his back pocket. Laura had to sit up, pulling herself away from his side, so he could get his phone out of his pocket to answer it.

"What?" Ross answered with an edge to his voice.

"Whoa dude, no need to be hostile." Rocky's voice echoed through the phone. "I just called to tell you that we've got an emergency meeting with the head of our record label tomorrow afternoon at four. So you're gonna have to be back by then. Where exactly are you anyway?"

"I'm in Virginia with Laura. And forget about it. I told you I wasn't coming back until Monday. It's only Saturday night. Reschedule it." Ross blatantly stated.

"What part of '_emergency_ meeting' don't you understand? He is the one who called us and scheduled the meeting. I can't just reschedule _his_ meeting." Rocky argued.

"Well then just tell him I'm just not gonna be there." Ross shot back.

"No. You're just as much a part of this band as I am, and you don't see me ditching important meetings for surprise dates with my girlfriend. What's got you so pissed off anyway?" Rocky countered.

"She's not my girlfr-..." Ross turned to see Laura still sitting right on the other side of the couch, and stopped mid-sentence. "I'm not pissed off, I was just...busy. And I don't want to show up to this meeting. I'm on 'vacation' at the moment. Call back some other time."

"Busy..." Rocky laughed. Ross could hear him laughing and joking with Riker. "Yeah okay, sorry I interrupted your _vacation_. Carry on." He laughed before hanging up the phone.

Ross rolled his eyes, throwing his phone onto the chair across the room.

"What's going on? Who was it?" Laura asked.

"It's nothing. It was just Rocky. He wanted to know where I was." Ross answered, avoiding eye contact.

"What meeting were you talking about? Are you missing something important?" Laura questioned further, knowing he wasn't being totally honest.

Ross sighed in defeat, wondering how she could see right through him. "Okay, fine. I've got a meeting tomorrow afternoon, I'm supposed to be there, but that means I'd have to leave early tomorrow morning."

"Well I don't want you to miss anything important, why aren't you going?" She asked.

"Because I told you I was going to stay here with you for the whole weekend." He answered.

"Don't skip your meeting, Ross. It'll only make me feel guilty if you do." Laura said, though the truth behind her eyes was evident, and Ross picked up on it.

"Okay, say I go to the meeting. How would you feel then?" He asked, his voice growing slightly stern as he tried to pull the truth out of her.

Laura thought for a moment, briefly taken back by his sudden mood change. "I'd...I'd feel sad. And stressed out. And lonely." She admitted, her voice wavering.

"Then don't tell me to go to that meeting, because I'm not going to let you feel that way. I'm not letting my job take me away from you for another two years." Ross said, his eyes falling to the floor as he remembered the constant pain he felt inside during those past few months.

Though Laura could have argued further about him losing his contract or getting yelled at by his siblings, she stopped and let herself be selfish for once. In all honesty, she didn't want him to leave. She wanted him right there by her side forever. After all, he was her best friend._ Oh, who was she kidding? T_his crazy kid had stolen her heart years ago. He made her feel young, wild, and free. No matter how old they were, she always felt like a teenager around him.

It was the strangest feeling she would always get around him. He made her see the world in a different light. Everything seemed brighter, happier with him around.

She was always afraid of the idea of loving him when she was younger, and tried to avoid it simply because she was scared of having a relationship. But now, ten years later, here she is, finally realizing how much easier this would have been ten years ago. She was in love with Ross Lynch, and she had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

**So there's chapter three! I'm currently working on the fourth chapter and it's about halfway done so I'll try to get it up this weekend. Sorry if there was any grammatical or spelling errors, I typed this on my iPod. Reviews make me happy and I'd love to know what you thought of it! P.S.-follow me at livvyyygrace_R5 for story updates! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry that it's been I while since I've updated, I've been SUPER busy. I've also been trying to work on my other story, Origin, which is a tough one. I apologize for the long wait and to make it up I decided to write this chapter a little longer than I had originally planned. I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**...**

The light of the morning sun shone in the hotel windows, illuminating the room with a soft yellow-orange glow. Ross fidgeted around in the couch, trying to block out the daylight. His left side felt warm and comfortable, and something soft was touching his face. He opened his eyes to find Laura snuggled up against him. His head rested on top of hers, and her hair felt like silk against his cheek. Laura then began to come to as well, but snuggled closer to Ross, not wanting to give up her human pillow.

Last night they had ended up falling asleep to the movie, after having an argument over who would miss the other more if Ross had went to the meeting. Yes, even to this day, they fought like a married couple.

"Hey, you awake?" Ross mumbled into her hair.

"Mmhm..." She hummed against his chest.

"You want some breakfast? We only had popcorn for dinner last night, I bet you're hungry." He offered.

"Yeah," she yawned, stretching out as she sat up. "I'm pretty hungry."

Ross immediately regretting mentioning breakfast, because it was a lot colder without her on his chest. "Would you rather eat here, or go out?"

"I guess we can go out, I don't have much here in the way of breakfast." Laura suggested.

"What restaurants are close? You've been here longer than I have." Ross said, getting up and stretching.

"There's an IHOP down the road a few blocks. We can go there. But first, I have to shower and change clothes. I'll be ready in like half an hour." Laura said as she starting cleaning up popcorn and folding up blankets.

"Yeah me too," Ross said, heading towards the door. "I'll go back to my room and get ready, then I'll meet you in the hall when you're ready."

"You'll probably be ready before me, you can just come wait in here once you're ready and wait for me or something." Laura suggested. "I don't mind. Just take the spare room key with you when you leave."

"Okay," Ross nodded as he grabbed her room key and walked to his room.

He stripped down, throwing his clothes in various corners of the room, and got straight into the shower. He let the warm beads of water trickle through his hair and down his back. He cranked the water up ten degrees hotter, relieving the stress from his muscles. After he had washed himself, he got out, wrapped a towel around his waist, and shook the water from his hair. He had trimmed his hair up a little since his teenage years, but it still had that shaggy blonde quality.

He got dressed in some jeans and a nice plaid shirt. He scrubbed his hair furiously with a towel, then ran a hand through it to style it. He looked at himself in the mirror and decided he looked presentable, so he headed across the hall.

Meanwhile, Laura had taken her shower, and gotten dressed in some jeans, wedges, and a floral top. She was currently drying and curling her hair in its usual fashion. She was debating on wearing makeup or not. She was with Ross, and he didn't care what she looked like, but why did she keep feeling like she had to impress him?

She went ahead and put on some light makeup anyway, and finished the final touch-ups on her outfit. She walked out of the bathroom to find Ross sitting on her couch. She found herself staring at him, a little awestruck. He looked pretty attractive, she wasn't gonna lie. She had always been a sucker for guys in plaid. Luckily, he was too busy with his phone to notice her gaping at him. She collected herself and grabbed the car keys and her purse. At this, Ross perked up, noticing her presence. He followed her out the door without a word, and they got into her car. Laura drove this time, since Ross didn't know how to get to IHOP from the hotel.

There was a strange silence between them, not awkward, nor comfortable. It seemed they both knew that the inevitable was coming. Today was their last day together, and who knows how long it would be until they were together again. It's as if since they knew they were soon going to be separated, they were each afraid to say anything that would make them miss each other more. They didn't want to leave each other with any more unanswered questions. But there was always the age-old question on their mind: '_What are we?',_ though neither one ever had the nerve to ask it.

Before they could even push through their muddled thoughts to realize what was going on, they were sitting in a booth in IHOP. Auto-pilot must've taken over Laura's mind when she was driving because she didn't even remember parking or walking in. Ross sensed the tension between them and finally decided to speak up.

"Hey," he started softly, as he reached his hand across the table and laid it over top of hers. "I know we're both bummed about tomorrow. The thought's been lurking over me all night. But we can't let that stop us from having a good last day together."

Laura lifted her eyes to meet his, looking at him through a thin haze of tears ready to fall.

Ross' heart shattered at the sparkling pain in her eyes. "I don't want our last day to be full of tears and goodbyes. I want it to be fun, and memorable, and meaningful. I want a long-lasting impression of that beautiful smile of yours, so I have an image I can keep with me for however long I go without seeing it in person."

Laura smiled and clutched his hand tighter. "Well then let's go."

"Go where?" Ross asked blankly.

"Anywhere. Somewhere fun, memorable and meaningful." Laura repeated his words with a smile. "I'd rather our last day be more meaningful than pancakes."

Ross laughed and slid out of the booth, still hand in hand with Laura. They left everything on the table and drove away without the slightest idea of where they were headed.

Ross was driving again, looking at road signs and billboards for something to do. They drove past the town Civic Center and an electronic news board was displaying the events taking place there today. Luckily, the perfect idea lit up on the screen.

"That's it!" Ross shouted, pointing at the board, circling back to the building.

"What?" Laura perked up, confused.

"There's an Imagine Dragons concert at that Civic Center tonight!" Ross turned towards Laura, eyes gleaming.

"Awesome! I've always wanted to see them in concert! How crazy is it that they're playing _here_, today of all days?" Laura's smile lit up her face, and Ross saw that giddy excitement on her features that he hadn't seen since they were teenagers.

"The concert starts at 7:00 pm. What should we do until then?" He asks.

Laura looks at the crowd that's already started to gather down at the building, thinking for a second. "Lets tailgate in the parking lot like everyone else."

"Really? Keep in mind we're considered celebrities, and we probably won't just blend into the crowd." Ross informs her.

"I don't care. We can get disguises or something. I want to do something normal for once." Laura decided, her mind made up.

Ross thought about for a moment, realizing how much better it would feel to be _in_ the crowd for once, rather than _having_ a crowd. "Alright. We'll do it. But where are we getting disguises?"

"Don't worry, I'm prepared for this one." Laura smiled.

Ross gave her a questioning look as he pulled over the car. Laura stepped out, walked to the trunk, and brought back a box. "What's in there?" He asked.

She pulled out some hats, just regular baseball caps, and some sunglasses. There was also some hoodies and old t-shirts. "Sometimes I need a break from the paparazzi, so I keep emergency cover-ups."

"Whoa, nice idea. I'll have to try it." Ross told her, rummaging through her various 'disguises'. He noticed that they didn't all belong to her. Some were men's hoodies, t-shirts, and hats. "Why do you have guys clothes?"

"I kept spares for whenever Raini and Calum came to visit me. We met up a lot more often than you and I." She explained.

Ross nodded his head, still regretting not seeing her for so long. "Well what're we waiting for? Lets play dress up."

Laura laughed and picked a few items from the box. It seemed she had done this time and time before as she dialed down her look. She took off her floral shirt, leaving her with a tank top, and pulled a hoodie over her head. She pulled a hair-tie out of the glovebox, threw her hair up in a messy bun, and covered the crumpled curls with a baseball cap. Last but not least, she traded her wedges for some old boots, put on her sunglasses, and wiped the gloss from her lips.

"Well, what do you think? Do I look _de-celebrified_?" Laura asked, spinning in a circle for emphasis.

"I don't think_ de-celebrified_ is a thing. But if it is, I think you're the definition of it." Ross laughed, strangely admiring how the hoodie was three-times her size.

"Good. Your turn." Laura said, looking for something that might suit him.

Ross unbuttoned his plaid shirt, trading it for one of the men's t-shirts. He grabbed a snapback hat and stuck in on his head backwards. He put on some sunglasses as well and figured that was enough to complete his look.

"You look like you did ten years ago. That's even the same superhero hat you used to wear! How'd that get in my box?" Laura laughed.

"I let Calum have it a long time ago, he used it for cover-ups and somehow he must've just left it here with your stuff." Ross explained. "But how did _you_ remember that it was the one I used to wear?"

Laura looked down as a beat of shyness pulsed through her. "Because I thought it was cute on you. Because it was so childish."

Ross narrowed his eyes at her as she tried to stay occupied with her feet, and he smirked. "So does that mean you think I'm cute _now_?"

Laura looked up at him as her brow wrinkled. "Shut up." She pushed him in the side, walking to put the box back in the trunk. "Lets just get over to the Civic Center parking lot."

They were pulled off in the grass on the side of the road, a block away from the Civic Center, so they could change. Ross drove over to the parking lot among the other fans and tailgaters, hoping they wouldn't be hounded for autographs or pictures. He parked in the middle of the crowded lot, and they got out of the car. There were vendors and food trucks everywhere, hoping to make some money off the waiting fans. Since neither one of them ever had breakfast, they got some chicken biscuits from one of the vendors.

They sat together on the hood of Laura's car, eating their biscuits. So far, they hadn't been noticed by anyone. Soon afterwards, a large crowd of people had gathered with a beach ball, and they were tossing it around the parking lot. Minutes later, one beach ball had turned into twenty and the colorful things were flying all over the lot. Ross and Laura had joined the crowd, occasionally bumping the ball into the air when it came to them.

Once the game with the ball had died down, crowds of people had come together and began singing to pass time. Just random songs, old and new, a large chorus of voices singing the words to a song everyone knew. There were hundreds of people in the lot and every voice together made a cloud of sound louder than any speaker ever made. The pair was smack in the middle of it all, harmonizing with the crowd, not a care in the world.

For hours this went on, but slowly, people found other things to occupy their time, and the cloud of sound dwindled to a whisper in the wind.

...

Soon the sun began to set, and the crowd livened up again, knowing the concert was about to begin.

"I'm so excited!" Laura clapped. "The concert's going to start in fifteen minutes!"

Ross continued to smile at her constant excitement, until reality smacked him in the face. He was leaving tomorrow. He had two parts of this night down, and one to go. Fun and memorable were covered, but the meaningful part wasn't quite there yet. This had to be a night to remember. 2023 was his year to make an impression, to make a statement. But it had to be at the right time.

A few guards walked out of the main entrance of the building, signaling that the crowd could now begin to fill the stadium. Laura hopped off of the hood and locked her car, then grabbed Ross' hand and hurriedly dragged him to the building.

"I want general admission, lets hurry up before it sells out!" Laura told him.

They got inside to the ticket window, and purchased two G.A. tickets. They ran to the stadium, and walked in at ground level. There were already hundreds of people down at the stage, trying to claim their spots. It took about half an hour for the entire stadium to fill with people. Then the lights went down, and fog started creeping out from the stage. The crowd erupted into a loud roar of cheers, and the band appeared on the stage. It was dark enough in the building now where Ross and Laura were able to take off their sunglasses without being recognized.

The band started playing a familiar song and everybody's hands went up, and bodies began to jump up and down to the music. The pair sang along and jumped around right with the rest of the crowd. They were both yelling at the top of their lungs, though neither of them could hear their own voice. For once, they were just another couple of fans, lost to the beat of the song. They were completely camouflaged by the crowd, and they loved it.

...

Eventually, the concert came to an end, and the last song was about to be played through the stadium.

"This last song is dedicated to the fans out there who know how to live life to the fullest. The ones who don't let the problems in life get to them. Spend time with friends, family, and the ones you love." The lead singer's voice echoed through the stadium.

The crowd gave one last roar of cheers before the band began to play their final song. Lots of people started to gather towards the edge of the stage, in hopes of getting a last minute touch of the hand from the band. Ross felt someone grab his arm, and looked down to find Laura mouthing something at him. Her lips moved, and he could tell she was yelling, but her voice was lost in the crowd. Ross leaned down to her level and she put her lips to his ear, still yelling.

"I can't see! Those people right there just pushed in front of me!" Laura shouted.

Ross thought for a moment, then smiled and bent down, motioning her to get on his back. Laura hopped right on, enjoying her view from this height. She weighed no less than a feather compared to Ross, so it wasn't bothering him in the least. Though it did seem to be bothering someone else. A man shook Ross' shoulder and began to yell at him.

"What do you think you're doing?! Now _I_ can't see!" He shouted angrily.

Laura shrunk down, and instead of sitting straight and tall on Ross' back, she rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his upper body. She was still on him piggy-back style, but she had just blended into his figure so the people behind them could still see. Ross turned his head to face her, with a bit of a smirk. Their faces were literally centimeters apart now, and Laura just smiled back.

"Well, we wouldn't want that guy to get mad, now would we?" She grinned.

Ross shook his head at her lack of subtlety, and continued to listen to the end of the music. After the band had said their 'thank you's' and 'goodbyes', Ross hurried out of the stadium, with Laura on his back, to beat the crowd to the parking lot. Laura had hopped down from his back, knowing it would save time if both of them ran. But Ross wasn't going to let her get lost in the crowd, so he grabbed her hand, weaving her in and out of people.

Once they were out of the building, they flopped onto the hood of Laura's car, trying to catch their breath. They lay on their backs, admiring the clearness of the starry sky above them. Soon, they were just lying there pointing out clusters of stars that looked like shapes, ignoring the traffic that was trying to get out of the parking lot.

"You know, I think this is one of the most cliché moments we've ever had." Laura laughed.

"What do you mean?" Ross asked.

"I'm talking about us, laying on the hood of a car, looking up at the stars." Laura clarified. Ross just gazed back at her, looking at the starry reflections in her eyes. "C'mon, that happens in like every romance movie. Seems like you would know that, since you're such a romantic sap." Laura joked.

This seemed to snap Ross out of his trance. "Hey! I'm not a romantic sap! Just because Romeo & Juliet was, and still is, my favorite movie, it doesn't prove anything."

"Yeah, whatever." Laura smiled.

Ross sat up and pulled out his phone to checked the time. It was thirty minutes after midnight. He would have to leave in half an hour if he wanted to get to the airport in time to catch his plane back home. As much as he wanted to fight it, he had a career, and a band that depended on him to show up.

"Hey, I gotta leave in about half an hour." Ross said, a frown replacing his smile.

Laura looked over at him, the smile dropping from her face as well. She thought for a moment, and said the only pathetic words her mind could muster up. "But...I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go either." Ross said, grasping her fingers and weaving them through his own. "But I think I've already overstayed my welcome. The head of my record label is probably already pissed off at me for deliberately skipping a meeting anyway. If I stay here much longer, he might drop my contract."

"I know, I have a job to get back to also." Laura said, rubbing her thumb over the back of Ross' hand. "But this weekend has been _so_ relieving. No work, no stress, no classes. When you're with me, it just goes away. I don't know how, but it does. I need you here with me, for my own sanity." She said, her lips curving into a sad smile at her last words.

"I need you for the same reason. Do you know how crazy I was going from not seeing you? That's why I had to come down here at a moment's notice." Ross explained, searching her eyes.

Laura smiled genuinely, suddenly growing slightly shy. Her heart started fluttering like a bird, for a reason unknown to her. She found it harder to hold eye contact with Ross, though at the same time, it was hard not to get lost in the eyes she's known and trusted for many years.

Ross seemed to pick up on her shift in behavior, and decided it was time for the "meaningful" part of this night to make an appearance. So he decided to jump right in and take the chance while he had it. "How freaked out would you be if I told you I loved you?"

Laura turned to him, eyes wide, but a glint of a smile was playing on her lips. She tried to tell if he was serious, or if he was just meaning a 'friend type' of love. But she could see the panicking nervousness behind his eyes and knew he was being serious. She smirked before answering, "On a scale from 1 to 10? Probably 2.5."

Ross laughed with relief, before playing out his last move. He glanced at the baseball cap that Laura was still wearing, and had an idea. "You know, you should really wear your hat like this..." He said, picking up her hat and turning it backwards, moving the bill out of his way.

"Wh–" Laura broke off as Ross' lips were answering the question she would've asked.

It was a long shot to kiss her, Ross knew that. But by the way it felt, and the way she moved with him, he realized it was a risk worth taking. This was the first ever kiss shared as _Ross and Laura_. Not as Austin and Ally or any other possible character, they were themselves and it was one hundred percent real. _Meaningful? _Check_. _

**So there you have it! Yeah yeah, it was just a bunch of Raura fluff, but who doesn't love that, right? I hope you liked it, and if you did, leave me a review! Review it even if you didn't like it, I wanna know what you thought! Anyways, I'll see you all again at chapter five! I probably won't update until after the holidays, so Merry Christmas! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm back with the fifth and final chapter! Wow, I can't believe it's already over! I actually intended for this to be a oneshot when I started, but the ideas kept flowing and so the chapters kept coming. :P Anyways, I hope you continue to Read & Review! :)**

The airport was cold, and surprisingly busy considering it was 2:00 AM. Laura had been sitting in the chairs, waiting hopelessly while Ross got his plane ticket and luggage ready to go. They still had an hour until his flight left, but there was nothing they could do to make this hour slow down. Laura almost bought a plane ticket for herself to go back to California right along with Ross. But she remembered that she had a career, and though it was stressful at times, it meant a lot to her.

Laura was busy in her thoughts, and had lost sight of Ross. She frantically searched the airport looking for any sign of the blonde. She heard the roaring of a plane taking off behind her and whirled around to the big glass window to see the plane that was responsible for the noise. A wave of panic and loneliness crashed over her as she pressed her hands to the cold glass, somehow hoping she could pull the plane back down. Tears covered her face in a waterfall of despair, as years of missed opportunities and words that never got spoken sat on the edge of her lips.

"Hey," Laura heard a voice and felt a hand on her back and whirled around, startled. Ross stood in front of her with an innocent, yet concerned look on his face. She breathed an enormous sigh of relief and flung herself into his chest. Ross stumbled back a bit, surprised at her sudden affection, before he steadied himself and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"I was only gone for like ten minutes," Ross chuckled. "What's going on?"

Laura thought to herself for a moment before answering. What _is_ going on? Of course Ross wasn't going to be on that plane, she knew the set time his was scheduled to leave. But as soon as she lost sight of Ross, she immediately got panicked, nervous, and paranoid. Something clicked in her brain and everything made sense to her now. She already knew she was falling in love with Ross, but she only now understood why. The reason she was stressed at work, the reason she feels 100% herself around Ross, the reason she freaked out when that random plane took off. Ross was the other half of herself. His energetic, happy-go-lucky personality balanced out her own personality of professionalism and logic. Leaving him was basically like cutting herself in half.

She remembered Ross was still holding her, waiting for an explanation. She collected her thoughts and gave him the simple truth. "I thought _you_ were on that plane."

Ross pulled back, looking at her in complete seriousness. "You know I'd never leave without saying goodbye."

"I know," Laura began to ramble, "but I couldn't find you and then I heard the plane and then I panicked and–"

Ross' lips had cut her off once again. He felt her melt into him and he wondered how on earth he was going to get on this plane without her. He pulled away slightly, allowing himself room to speak. "Don't think for second that I would _ever_ leave you like that."

Laura nodded her head slightly before speaking. "You know, you could let me finish my sentences before you kiss me."

Ross laughed, pulling her into another hug, as his lips brushed the top of her head.

"How much time do you have left?" Laura asked.

Ross pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen, his smile dropping. "Twenty-five minutes."

Laura swallowed the lump forming in her throat and pushed all thoughts of departure aside. "Well then lets make them worth it."

Ross cocked one eyebrow up. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Laura smiled enthusiastically.

"Ooh! Lets play truth or dare! Without the truth." Ross suggested after a moment of thought.

"So you just want to play dare? Is that even a thing?" Laura countered, smiling at his fun, boyish nature.

"We do it all the time when we're stopped somewhere between concert locations on tour." Ross said. "One time, Rocky almost got us arrested. It was _so_ fun."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "Sounds thrilling. But I'd rather not get arrested."

"Well we don't have to play _that_ extreme. C'mon, it'll be fun!" Ross begged.

"Fine. But if the cops get involved, I'm blaming you." Laura decided.

The pair spent the last half hour or so daring each other to do random things around the airport. Most of the time it was just picking on other people waiting for a flight, or saying something embarrassing to someone and walking away. They only picked on people that looked to old to recognize them as celebrities. They even recorded a few of them to post on Ross' keek. Nevertheless, they were laughing hysterically just about the whole time. It seemed to brighten their mood and momentarily take their minds off of leaving each other. But half an hour had come and gone just like that.

"Flight 63 to Los Angeles please report to the boarding zone. Flight 63 to the boarding zone. Thank you." The front desk attendant announced.

Ross looked over at Laura, who was already looking at him with sad eyes. He pulled her into a tight hug and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry, you haven't seen the last of me."

Laura chuckled lightly as she wiped away a tear. Ross reached down and kissed her one last time before picking up his bag and walking down to the boarding zone. He looked back one last time and mouthed the words: 'I love you'. Laura smiled through the tears letting out a small laugh and whispered 'I love you too'. He caught what she said and smiled widely before stepping onto the plane.

Laura was crying, but she was surprisingly happy. It's as if since she finally realized she loved him, she was finally able to let him go. It was the strangest thing. But she was hanging on to what he had said earlier. '_Don't worry, you haven't seen the last of me.' _And she believed him. She trusted him. So she wasn't going to worry.

Laura had made her way over to the big glass window to watch Ross take off into the sky. She saw the number 63 on a plane about ready to fly away. She kept her eyes locked on that plane. It lifted off the ground and she threw her hand up, waving at it, hoping Ross could see her.

Ross was indeed watching her, waving down at her through the small round window. And for another seven months, that was the last time he had seen her in person. Of course they had video chatted, and talked on the phone constantly. But he held onto that image of her waving from the airport window.

...

Days passed. Weeks passed. Months passed. A whole year passed before Ross gave Laura the ultimate surprise. He showed up at her house one day in the middle of summer completely unexpected. She had no idea he was coming to visit. But when Laura opened that front door, she found a kneeling Ross presenting her with a ring any girl would die for. There was lots of dropped jaws, tears, hugs, and yes, kisses. But in the end, her answer was an immediate yes, and the pair lived in the very cliché town known as happily ever after.

The wedding was two months later, on a warm, sunny beach in California. Pictures of the wedding found their way onto social media soon afterwards, and the paparazzi was all over it. Everybody wanted to know about Raura. They were the star couple of Hollywood. There were still those few determined shippers that had been there since day one of Austin & Ally. The dedicated shippers found this whole Raura fiasco to be twice as special because it was the year 2023.

Though the fans and media begged for answers about their relationship, Ross and Laura continued to keep their relationship personal. They'd post cute pictures on twitter every once in a while or spill a little juicy detail to the press on occasion. But everything else remained between the pair. They weren't ashamed of 'Raura', but they have always loved the romanticism of secret love. Especially Ross, being a first class romantic.

Some people ask why they are so secretive, which in turn leaves Ross and Laura to say something that doubles the mystery of their relationship. But then again, that's just Raura.

**So that's it, short and sweet basically. There's a possibility of an epilogue or sequel, but I don't really have any loose ends to tie up, so y'all are gonna have to ****_really_**** beg me for it. Anyway, reviews are nice. :) **


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